Japan never made it to any of the first 15 World Cup editions but have been present at each of the last seven.
Japan
AFC · 8th World Cup appearance · Group F
Featured facts
Japan became the first nation to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Japan can equal their national World Cup record of 3 consecutive World Cup matches unbeaten by avoiding defeat (currently on 2).
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Hajime Moriyasu returns after Japan topped a 2022 group containing Spain and Germany before exiting in the Round of 16.
Japan lost only 1 of their 12 qualifiers.
Japan have conceded in each of their last 9 World Cup matches, letting in 15 goals in total.
Japan’s World Cup opening-match record is 3W-1D-3L across 7 appearances (9-10 goals). They have failed to score 1 time and kept 1 clean sheet in those opening games.
2026 Fixtures
World Cup record
8
World Cup appearances
Best result: Round of 16
29
matches played
8 won · 8 drawn · 13 lost
-5
goal difference
33 scored · 38 conceded
Recent World Cups
2022Round of 16W2 D1 L1→2018Round of 16W1 D1 L2→2014Group stageW0 D1 L2→
Show 4 earlier appearancesHide earlier appearances↓
All-time top scorers
1Keisuke Honda4goals
2Daichi Kamada20262goals
3Ayase Ueda20262goals
4Daizen Maeda20262goals
5Ritsu Dōan20262goals
6Junichi Inamoto2goals
7Shinji Okazaki2goals
8Takashi Inui2goals
9Junya Itō20261goal
10Keito Nakamura20261goal
Team profile
Japan's best World Cup finish is the round of 16, reached in 2022, 2018, 2010, 2002.
Japan have an average squad age of 27.2 at the 2026 World Cup.
2026 Squad
| # | Name | Birthdate (Age) | Club | WC Apps | WC Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion SuzukiG | 21 Aug 2002(23) | Parma | 4 | 0 |
| 2 | Yukinari SugawaraD | 28 Jun 2000(26) | Werder Bremen | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Shōgo TaniguchiD | 15 Jul 1991(35) | Sint- Truiden | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Kō ItakuraD | 27 Jan 1997(29) | Ajax | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | Yuto NagatomoD | 12 Sept 1986(39) | FC Tokyo | 16 | 0 |
| 6 | Wataru EndōM | 9 Feb 1993(33) | Liverpool | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | Ao TanakaM | 10 Sept 1998(27) | Leeds United | 6 | 1 |
| 8 | Takefusa KuboM | 4 Jun 2001(25) | Real Sociedad | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | Keisuke GotōF | 3 Jun 2005(21) | Sint- Truiden | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Ritsu DōanM | 16 Jun 1998(28) | Eintracht Frankfurt | 8 | 2 |
| 11 | Daizen MaedaM | 20 Oct 1997(28) | Celtic | 6 | 2 |
| 12 | Keisuke ŌsakoG | 28 Jul 1999(26) | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Keito NakamuraM | 28 Jul 2000(25) | Reims | 4 | 1 |
| 14 | Junya ItōM | 9 Mar 1993(33) | Genk | 8 | 1 |
| 15 | Daichi KamadaM | 5 Aug 1996(29) | Crystal Palace | 8 | 2 |
| 16 | Tsuyoshi WatanabeD | 5 Feb 1997(29) | Feyenoord | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | Yuito SuzukiM | 25 Oct 2001(24) | SC Freiburg | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Ayase UedaF | 28 Aug 1998(27) | Feyenoord | 5 | 2 |
| 19 | Kōki OgawaF | 8 Aug 1997(28) | NEC | 3 | 0 |
| 20 | Ayumu SekoD | 7 Jun 2000(26) | Le Havre | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | Hiroki ItōD | 12 May 1999(27) | Bayern Munich | 5 | 0 |
| 22 | Takehiro TomiyasuD | 5 Nov 1998(27) | Ajax | 6 | 0 |
| 23 | Tomoki HayakawaG | 3 Mar 1999(27) | Kashima Antlers | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Kaishū SanoM | 30 Dec 2000(25) | Mainz 05 | 3 | 1 |
| 25 | Junnosuke SuzukiD | 12 Jul 2003(23) | Copenhagen | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Kento ShiogaiF | 26 Mar 2005(21) | VfL Wolfsburg | 1 | 0 |